This invention relates to an apparatus for injecting and/or withdrawing jointed tubulars, and more particularly to coiled tubing injector with a lift sub adapted to be connected to jointed tubulars.
Coiled or reeled tubing has been run into wells with coiled tubing injectors for many years for performing certain downhole operations, such as, for instance, washing out sand bridges, circulating treating fluids, setting downhole tools, cleaning the walls of well pipes, conducting production fluids or lift gas, and a number of other similar remedial or production operations. Thus, opportunities exist to utilize coiled tubing technology in the drilling, completion and workover of new wells and in re-entries. In many instances, production tubulars must be pulled prior to proceeding with coiled tubing operations. In some cases, small casing sizes must also be removed or, in the case of drilling, run into the newly drilled section of the wellbore.
Typically, jointed production tubulars are withdrawn utilizing a conventional workover rig. After the jointed tubulars are removed, coiled tubing operations may be performed utilizing a coiled tubing injector and, after such coiled tubing operations are completed, a conventional rig is again utilized to insert jointed tubulars back into the wellbore. To remove and install the jointed tubulars, the conventional workover rig must be transported to the site and set up before commencing coiled tubing operations.
Because it is time-consuming and expensive to set up and remove conventional workover rigs, there is a need for a more time and cost-efficient way to pull jointed tubulars prior to conducting conventional coiled tubing operations. Such a method may also result in the performance of heretofore traditional rig operations with the coiled tubing unit.